Printing press feeder



April 1, 1941 F. J. 'DIETRICH 2,237,026

PRINTING PRESS FEEDER Filed Feb. 13, 1940 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE- PRINTING PRESS FEEDER Fred J. Dietrich, Lemay, Mo.

Application February 13, 1940, Serial No. 318,740

Claims.

This invention, generally, concerns conventional vertical printing presses, such as for example, the well-known Miehle press. More particularly, it relates to the feeder tables of these presses.

At present, such presses can print only a single sheet of predetermined size and color at one time.

One of the principal features of my invention is the provision of means whereby two sheets of the same or dilerent sizes or colors may be printed at the same time.

Also, in the printing of double tone stock, i. e. paper whose opposite faces are of different colors, it is practical with the use of my invention to run such stock in work and turn fashion, eliminating the necessity of electrotypes and an extra make-ready required in the present-day method of work and back printing.

Another important feature resides in the ability to cut more units of a predetermined size from a standard sized sheet or ream of stock.

Other advantages will be apparent or referred to in the description to follow, and in the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the Various views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one element of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the upper portion on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a plan View, partly in section, taken on the line 4--4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the complementary element of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional illustration of a portion of a feeder table, with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. '7 is a combined plan and section taken on the line 'I-'I of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the invention on a conventional feeder platform, portions of the back pile guide being broken away;

Fig. 9 is a similar view, partly in section, being taken approximately on the line 9--9 in Fig. 8, including well known printing press mechanism, shown in broken lines;

Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13, which are drawn to scale, (1/8 inch equalling 3 inches), illustrate diagrammatically the paper economy possible with the use of my improvement.

'whatever in said arrangement.

In vertical presses, the sheets are stacked on a table A, the uppermost sheet of the pile being fed into the press in a well known manner by feeder arms B, (Fig. 9). 'Ihe pile is automatically maintained at the proper height by the usual mechanism, including a pair of racks C xed to the underside of said table, the racks moving vertically in bearings or guides on the feeder platform D.

A back pile guide E, and right and left front pile guides F, properly align the sheets, and a centrally located blowhead G fluffs each successive uppermost sheet at the proper time, whereuponl it is fed into the press. The front vertical face of the table has a groove or track H, which cooperates with the fro-nt pile guides in adjustments toward or away from the vertical center line of the table, for sheets of various sizes. The bases of the guides F rest on the plat. form D.

The structure thus far described is old and is embodied in most commercialized presses of the type herein concerned. It is not considered necessary therefore, to illustrate or describe it in detail.

The present invention contemplates no changes To accomplish its purposes however, two elements are added. The first of these, generally indicated I, is a casting of aluminum or other light-weight material. The other, generally designated 2, is of similar construction. l

The former includes a Vertical portion 3, and an integral base position. ll provided With apertures 5, whereby it can be secured to the platform D by vscrews 6, (Figs. 8 and 9). The hori zontal cross-sectional configuration of portion 3 is best shown in Fig. 4. It includes a relatively wide, heavy rib or tongue portion l, and relatively thin lateral extensions 8, all merging into the base portion Il as` sho-wn.

Near uthe upper extremity of member I, two apertures 9 are provided to accommodate wires Ill, which pass through them and are formed into loops II extending more or less diagonally across the recesses I2 formed by the ribl l and extensions 8.

The ends Ia of the wires are brought under the heads of screws I3, a washer or the like If; being interposed between the vertical portion 3 and said ends as shown. These washers are not essential, but being of soft material, they aid in mounting the wires rigidly. They also act as spacers, simplifying adjustments.

The contour of element 2 is best shown in Fig.

5. The recessed portion or groove I5 has a sliding fit with the tongue 5, and the groove-defining extensions I6 have a similar fit with the recesses I2. As shovm particularly in Fig. 7, the extensions IB project laterally beyond the margins of the members 6 in order to give the pile of sheets S thereon better support. f

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate two piles of sheets in feeding position. It is noted that the uppermost sheet of each pile lies a slight distance below the adjacent loop II, the lowerm'ost upon the table `and upon said element 2. The sheets are so positioned that a corner of each pile ts a recess I2, the front guides F being adjusted to so maintain the pile. i

The standard groove H is utilized in mounting the support 2, portion I'I of the latter seating within the groove, and the downwardly eXtend- In the operation of the feeding device aug- I mented by my improvement, the blowhead G flufs the up'ermost sheet of each pile, the air blast passing through the apertures 9, causing said sheets to utter upwardly against the loops II, whereupon e the feeder arms grip and transfer the pair of sheets to the press in the usual manner.

As previously described, member I is mounted on platform D with its vertical portion 3 spaced from the front of the table a sufficient distance Y to accommodate element 2. together with a substantial body portion of said element, support the piles at the table-overhanging regions adjacent upright 3. The adjustable The extensions I6,

loops II control the sheets in the fluing operation. Since the feeder arms B and their associated V'parts are designed to deliver sheets of a predetermined maximum size, they can obviously simultaneously deliver two sheets of a total size which does not exceed that maximum.

My improvement makes possible a considerable I saving in the stock required for a particular job. For example, a'billhead or circular of the size 'shown in Fig. 10 is 'requiredl Under ordinary practice, four sheets of the size illustrated in Fig. Il would be cut from standard stock, (Fig. 12). Such sheet, indicated at a, is of course halved along the line b after printing. Consequently, eight nal sheets represents 'the maximum yield possible. Reference to Fig. 13 will show that with my im provement, nine final sheets may be cut and printed` from stock of the identical proportions.

Thus it is apparent that the various objects and purposes of my invention are attained without requiring any changes in present commercial equipment.

Obviously the embodiment shown and described admits of various modications. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a printing press feeder, including a table, a blowhead, a stationary platform, front and back pile guides, rack bars for raising and lowering the table, the latter having a longitudinal groove or track in its front vertical face, means removably mounted in said groove, and complementar` means removably mounted on said platfor adapted to support and control two piles of sheets during feeding operations, the former means comprising a sheet support'provided with a tongue at one side thereof adapted to enter said longitudinal track, a groove at the opposite side thereof, and a vlongitudinal vertical rib depending from the under side thereof adjacent said tongue, and the latter means including a base portion and a vertical portion, the latter having a rib or tongue adapted to seat within the groove of said support.

2. In a printing press feeder, including a table, a blowhead, a stationary platform, front and back Vpile guides, rack bars for raising and lowering the table, the latter having a longitudinal groove or track in its front vertical face, a pile support removably mounted in said groove, land an angular member removably mounted on said platform, the vertical component of the angular member having a tongue portion, and said support having a cooperating groove portion.

3. In a printing press feeder, including a table, a blowhead, a stationary'platform, front and back pile guides, and rack bars for raising and lowering the table, means removably mounted on said plat-- form comprising a horizontal base portion and a perpendicular portion, vthe latter being provided with apertures near its upper extremity whereby compressed air emitted by said blowhead at regular intervals is caused to pass through said apertures.

4. In a printing press feeder, including a table, a b-lowhead, a lstationary platform, front and back pile guides, and rack bars for raising and lowering the table, means removably .mounted on said platform comprising a horizontal base portion and a perpendicular portion, the latter being provided with apertures near its upper extremity, a wire passing vthrough each aperture and forming a loop. the latter extending diagonally a predetermined distance in a substantially horizontal plane, and means for adjustably mounting said wires on said perpendicular portion.

5. In a printing press feeder, including a table, a blowhead, a stationary platform, `front and back pile guides, rack bars for raising and lowering the table, the latter having a longitudinal horizontal groove or track in its front Vertical face, a pile support removably mounted in said groove, and an angular member including a horizontal and a vertical component 'mounted on said platform, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of said vvertical component being complementary to that of said pile support, whereby the latter isiadapted toslide vertically on the former whenever the table is raised and lowered. 

